Solo Travel in Los Angeles
A communal table at a market hall, a hike to the Hollywood Sign, and a gig where going alone is completely normal, the version of LA that works when it’s just you.
Los Angeles is genuinely a great city for solo travel, freedom to set your own pace across sprawling neighbourhoods, world-class museums, and beaches that never make a solo visitor feel out of place. Here’s how to spend the time on what actually works solo.
Griffith Observatory at your own pace
A properly rewarding solo landmark, free entry, sweeping city views, and the closest public vantage point to the Hollywood Sign without a longer hike. Time it for sunset when the whole city lights up below, and there’s no rush to fit anyone else’s schedule.
Grand Central Market
An easy solo meal, communal tables and a wide spread of global street food mean nobody notices you’re on your own. Uovo, seating solo diners around a bar looking straight into the kitchen, offers a more intentional version of the same idea if you’d rather watch the chefs work while you eat.
Venice Beach Boardwalk
A properly lively stretch, street performers, Muscle Beach and the Venice Skate Park all give a solo walk plenty to take in. It’s about a 40-minute walk from Santa Monica Pier, easy to navigate between the two beach towns and grab a scoop of ice cream along the way.
A walking or food tour
A widely reliable way to meet other solo travellers, pay-what-you-wish walking and food tours attract plenty of people flying solo, and guides make sure nobody feels left out. Meetup groups offer a further option, gaming nights, museum tours and jazz appreciation groups scattered throughout the city.
Live music at an intimate venue
One of LA’s best solo activities, going alone actually feels normal at venues like The Troubadour or Hotel Café, plenty of people attend shows solo just to soak in the atmosphere. A sunset yoga class near the beach offers a lower-key alternative, and people often stick around after to chat.
Staying safe
Los Angeles is broadly safe for solo travellers, with the usual big-city precautions, stay alert around the Walk of Fame and Venice Boardwalk specifically, both popular with pickpockets. Avoid South Central neighbourhoods like Compton or Crenshaw if you’re unfamiliar with the area, and use rideshares at night rather than walking unfamiliar streets alone.
Getting around
LA’s traffic is widely notorious, plan your days by grouping activities and restaurants that sit near each other rather than crossing the city repeatedly. Choosing accommodation close to the attractions you’ll visit most cuts down on travel time considerably, and rideshares work well for anywhere outside easy walking distance.
A few practical notes
Hotels with a properly social scene, a lobby, pool or bar where other travellers gather, help solo trips feel less isolating if that matters to you. Single-rider lines at theme parks like Universal Studios are a proper perk of going alone too, considerably shorter waits than the standard queue.
That’s everything I’ve got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government’s latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
